Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1887-02-10
A Lake ofFire.

A correspondent of the New York
Times, writing from Waterloo, an ex-
tensive estate in Nassau, describes a
curious body of water to be seen there.
The lake is nearly one thousand feet
long and two hundred to three hundred
feet broad. 1t is an artificial lake, the
former proprietor of Waterloo having
b uilt it to store green turtles in. The
plan was to buy the turtles alive and
put them in the lake and let them in
crease in size and numbers, when they
would always be ready to be caught
and eaten. Millions of fish could be
kept in the lake at the same time, and
thus the occupant of Waterloo would
always have good dinner waiting in
the yard. The lakes bed is cut out of
the solid rock, and is only few hun
dred feet from the ocean. 1t is con-
nected with the sea by o small canal /,
also cut through the rocks; and when
the gate in this canal is left open the
tide rises and falls in the lake.
1t was one of the darkest nights /
ever saw, We went into the boathouse
and pushed out heavy rowboa.. 1
took the oars and we pulled off. The
first stroks gave me fine start. There
had not been any unusual appearance
of phosphorescance on the surface of the
water more than is often seen on tropi-
cal seas; but as soon as the oars stirred
it up they seemed to be dipped in melt
ed gold. There was actually fire there,
/ was compelled to think. While l was
wondering at it fish, STARTLED by our
splatter, darted across the pond near
the surface, and in his trail was left
streak of yellow fire. Then we saw at
different places on the surface little
vapory clouds of fire flashing and dart
ing about like the northern lights.
eff you have a newspaper in you
pocket" said my companion, clay 1T on
your lap and splash the water with
both oars, to see whether you can get
light enough to read by"
1 did so, and was able to read the
heading and all the large lines without
difficulty. / took an oar then and
splashed the water, and wherever a
drop fell back into the lake was round
spot of fire. There was something
startling in seeing so much FIRE floating
about. And / had not the faintest no
ton where we were. / had gone out
upon an unknown lake, in total dark
ness, and had no idea how large nor
how deep it was, nor where the current
If there was any-might carry us.
"If you pull hard and watch the bow
and stern of the boat, you will see
something curious"
did so, and was well paid for the
exertion. When a boat moves fast
there is always cutting Of the water
at the bow, and little eddy left Just
behind the stern. That outwater and
that eddy were of flaming fire. More
fish darted about. leaving fiery trails.
Indeed, wherever the water was agita-
ted it turned apparently into fire. When
the agitation ceased the fire disappeared,
except that there was alwaysa little
sparkling upon the surface. We splash
ed, and rowed, and watched. One OF
the most curious effects was to throw
something from the boat to e. distant
part of the lake, and watch the fire
splash. A fountain put in the centre
of the lake would be fountain of fire.
We measured the depth with an oar,
and found ii TO be four or five feet. 1t
is mentioned as curious circumstance
that the water in the lake can be changed
as often as desired without destroying
its phosphorescence. Various analyses
of the water have been made, but with
out any great results.